Someone To Lean On

How do you make relationships last?

A girl stood in front of a mannequin that held a white, lovely dress. She smiled at the sight. She then heard footsteps nearing her, and looked up to see her father.

"Are you okay?"

"Papi, you and Papà are so happy.. well, even though Papà didn't show it all the time. How did you make it last?" she asked her father. They both sat in front of a table that held a small basket of tomatoes. The father grabbed one and held it up.

"Carmen, look at this. This is your Papà's favourite food - and mine too," he chuckled. "It's pretty obvious, you see, since we both grew a garden of tomatoes together."

"And?"

"And your Papà looks like this," they both laughed.

"Well, Papi, you're not yet answering my question."

"I'm not done yet, Carmen. I'm just starting to answer your question," and thus, Antonio began to tell a story, and his daughter, Carmen, listened carefully.

The two men wiped their sweats as they finished picking all of the tomatoes in their garden.

"Bastard! This is a lot of tomatoes! Jackass!" the younger man named Lovino Vargas grinned; a rare sight that only Antonio Fernández Carriedo can see.

"Yes, Lovi. We've got a lot of tomatoes this year," Antonio smiled. "Let's get inside, it's getting hot in here."

Once inside, the two men placed their baskets on the ground and panted in exhaustion.

"Man, that was damn exhausting!" Lovino whined then goes to drink a glass of water, Antonio following suit.

"He didn't notice it but I'm actually starting to fall in love with him; but I'm afraid that he didn't return it, reject me, and our relationship will be ruined. But then one time, I got fed up from bottling my emotions inside me."

"Lovino, may I speak to you?" Antonio said seriously, which is really unusual for him. The said man gulped and nodded, thinking what did he do wrong.

"Lovi.." the older man leaned down to meet Lovino's hazel and amber eyes. The younger stared at the pair of green orbs as his own widened when a soft feeling crashed into his lips.

And he just realized, that Antonio, his secret love, is kissing him.

Antonio pulled away to breath and met Lovino's wide, shocked eyes staring at him. Antonio realized what did he just do and felt guilt rose in his chest.

"Mierda! L-Lo siento Lovi, d-did I su--" he was cut off when a familiar pair of lips crashed into his own again, and immediately melt into the feeling. A few seconds (or minutes) passed by and they both started to crave for air, the reason as to why they broke kiss. Antonio leaned his forehead against Lovino's, then smiled.

"Te amo, Lovino Vargas.. I always have.."

"I do too, Antonio Fernández Carriedo.. Ti amo tanto.."

"After some years, I decided to bound our love to each other in front of the altar; and I'll tell you, that is one of the best days of my life."

"Antonio Fernández Carriedo, do you take Lovino Vargas for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

The asked man smiled down at his blushing bride (groom) before answering the priest's question with a simple, but powerful words that will change their whole lives.

"I do."

"Lovino Vargas, do you take Antonio Fernández Carriedo for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"